


Safety

by shxnji



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Panic Attacks, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 09:51:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14746583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shxnji/pseuds/shxnji
Summary: Tony has a panic attack, and Stephen comes to the rescue.





	Safety

_"Wasn't Tony Stark the one who went into the wormhole in New York?"_

"Not again," Tony whispered, trying to steady himself against the nearest wall. By now he could recognize the symptoms of a panic attack: the shortness of breath, shaky hands, dizziness, racing heart. They were often unexpected and always severe.   
"No, no, not here," said Tony, his knees buckling beneath him. He put his full weight against the wall and clutched at his chest. There was a dull, yet sharp ache in his chest that pressed down on his lungs and left him gasping for air.   
"Stephen," he breathed. "I have to call him." Shaky hands fumbled for the phone in his bag as his chest shuddered. His legs buckled and he dropped, hands and knees hitting the ground with a hard  _thump_.  
Suddenly Tony felt like he had been submerged in water. The anxiety was slowly rising—like liquid being poured into a glass—starting at his feet, then gradually consuming the room until it reached his neck. He tried to keep his head above water, but someone kept pushing him under, then pulling him back up. Push, pull, push, pull, push, pull, until his lungs were filled up. He was drowning, and oh god, not again. The air seemed thinner. A few people started to stare.

He felt the cool metal against his skin. He felt the sensation of being submerged in water. He heard the sounds of shouting and the phone ringing with no answer as he called Pepper Potts for the last time. He heard nothing. And then it was too much.

Tony managed to get back to his feet and stumble to the nearest bathroom. He quickly locked the door behind him and crumpled on the hard tile floor. The room was titled and blurry, but at least he had been dragged back into reality.

Then he remembered the one person who could calm him down. Stephen Strange.

He fished his phone out of his bag, dropping it a few times before finally getting a good grip on it. He couldn't see the screen very well, but luckily he had his boyfriend in his "favorites." He pressed the call button.

"Pick up, pick up, please,  _please_..."

_Don't let it be like it was with Pepper._

"Tony?" he heard on the other line.

"Talk to me. About anything," Tony ordered, sounding harsher than he'd meant to.

"What's going on—?" asked Stephen, concern prominent in his voice.

"Please just do it."

The desperate tone in Tony's voice made Stephen's chest feel tight. He knew Tony was prone to breakdowns, and he rarely asked for help, so he knew this must be a bad one.

"Okay... I read some this morning, then had a cup of tea. I missed you."

Silence.

"Then I... took a shower... did some more reading, brought Peter to school. He said to tell you good luck at your presentation today."

"Thanks," Tony said, but it came out as more of a squeak. He still couldn't breathe.

"Listen, Tony," Stephen whispered. "You know I'm not very good at... being comforting. But I'm a doctor, and I know some techniques to help calm you down. Okay?"

He nodded.

"This is called square breathing. I want you to breathe in—" he heard Stephen take in a deep breath. "And out... breathe in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, then let it out for four seconds," he explained. "This will flood oxygen to your brain and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes calmness."   
Tony breathed with him. In, hold, out. In, hold, out. In, hold, out, until his breathing was easier to control. His head felt a little cloudy and he was still shaky but he was slightly calmer.  
"Now name two things you can hear, see, touch, and smell," Stephen continued.  
"Um," Tony started. "I can see... the bathroom sink and the door. I can... touch the floor and my pants. I can smell, I don't know, air freshener?"   
"That's good," Stephen replied. Tony could hear the smile in his voice which reassured him. "You're doing great Tones."  
He swallowed. "Thanks. I'm—I'm sorry about that, I just lost it for a minute. I think—I think I over heard someone talking about New York and they pointed and me and I just—I—oh god." Tony put his head in his hands and tried to catch his breath again.

"Tony, you're safe. You're safe now. Nothing like that is going to attack us again, and you're not going to die. I swear on my life that I will protect you."   
They were both quiet for a moment. Tony wondered if he really meant that, and if he did, why would he ever promise that? Why would he risk his life for him?   
"Don't say that," replied Tony. His voice was low and serious. "I won't let you die for me, I can't—" he paused.   
"Tony?"  
"I can't let anyone else die because of me." His voice wavered, and he covered his mouth, shoulders shaking. Silent sobs wracked his body.  
"Hey, love, don't cry. Don't cry. Shhh," Stephen cooed. "I'm going to drive over there."  
"Don't, please, just. Stay there. I shouldn't have called you," Tony pleaded, but he could already hear Stephen searching for his car keys. He sighed.  
"I'll stay on the phone with you."

They talked for another 20 minutes until Tony heard a knock on the door. He got to his feet to open the door for his boyfriend, who stood there with open arms. Tony fell into them immediately and buried his face in his lover's chest.  
"I'm sorry," he whispered. Stephen laughed and wrapped his arms around Tony tightly.  
"You're okay. You're safe," he murmured. "And I love you more than anything."

**Author's Note:**

> I WROTE THIS SUPER QUICKLY because i wanted to enter the contest rlly bad and i got too excited to make it sound good?? so i just wrote from the heart. anyway i hope y'all liked it !! :))


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